Tagging seal



E. DIETZE TAGGING SEAL Feb. 6, 1940.

Filed Aug. 1'7, 1959 INVENTOR.

Patented Feb. 6, 1940 OFFICE TAGGING SEAL EmilDietze, Brooklyn, N. Y assignor to American ,Casting & Manufacturing Corporation, "Brooklyn; N. Y;, a corporation of NewYork l Application augastimiess. Serial No. 290,614

10 Claims. (01. 292-326) This invention relatesto an improved seal I devic efor tagging meats, poultry and other food products, or for' tagging other kinds of merchandisc} articles .or materials.

This invention has for ,an object to provide a novel seal device comprising, a sheet metal seal body towhich is initially affixed one end portion of a'flexible tie-wire, the opposite initially free i end portion of-which is suitably sharpened whereby, in use, the same may be caused to pierce through the article or material to which the seal 'is to be applied, and-said free'end portion thererial? against unauthorized removal without dis closure of tampering.

3 This inventionhas foranother ob-ject to provide, in a tagging seal of the kind above characterized, a novel form and construction of sheet metal seal body including deformable rolled tub ularcoupling members for respectively engaging therespective end portionsof the tie-wire, and,

' cooperative with at least that one of'said coupling members which is adapted toreceive the free sharpened end portion ofp'the tie-wire, is

fmeans'to stopand shield the inserted tie-wire extremity, so as to protectthe fingers against prick ingwhen manipulating the seal during applica tion thereof to a desired article or material.

The invention has for a further object to provide means for weakening the seal body at points adjacent to the tubular coupling members, whereb'y'any' tampering attemptto' open up the latterand temporarily release the tie-wire from the grip thereof will result in destruction of the seal with consequent disclosure that it has been tampered with. f

' A still furth "r object ofthis invention is to pro- 'vide,in connection with that tubular coupling member which adapted to receive insertion of the free sharpened end portion of a tie-wire, a guide 'means'adjacent to the mouth of said cou- I pling member adapted to quickly align the tiewire endportion therewith; and thereby facilitate, the operation of inserting the tie-wire therein,while at the same time avoiding risk of v pricking the fingers during such operation.

Other objects of this invention, not at'this time more particularly enumerated, will be understood from the following detailed description of the same. I

An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying'drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a seal device according to this'invention as operatively applied and sealed to material to be tagged thereby.

Fig. 2 is a front face view of the novel seal according to this invention; Fig. 3 is a rear face 1. view of the same; Fig. 4 a. transverse sectional view, taken on line 4-4 in Fig. 2; Fig. 5" is a transverse sectional View, taken .on line 5-5 in Fig. 2; Fig. 6'is a central longitudinal vertical section through the seal, taken on line 66 in Fig.2; Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof, taken on line in Fig. 2; and Fig. 8 is another longitudinal sectional view thereof, taken'on line 88 in Fig. 2. 1

Similar-characters of. reference are employed in the above described views, to indicate corre- 0 sponding parts. Y

The novel sealbody according to this invention is made from a flat sheet metal blank of substantially rectangular peripheral shape. Extending transversely inward fromopposite longitudinal side marginso-f said blank are indenting slits IU of a length less than one-half the width of. the

blank. These. slits divide the'blank into a lower body section II and an Upper body section I2,

which sections are connect'ed'one with the other by the uninterrupted-portion of the blank lying between the inner ends ofthe slits Ill. The marginal side portions of the upper body section 12, extending between said slits I0 and the upper free end of. said body section. l2, are rolled inwardlyupon themselves and over the front face of said body section I2, to provide respectively along the respective longitudinal sides of the latter, tubular coupling members l3 and l4,.th'e bores of lower open ends of the tubular coupling members l3 and I4 with which the same are respectively axially aligned. i I v i The tie-wire. l5 comprises .a suitable length of. flexible metallic wire of suitable gauge. The butt end l8 of this tie-wire is insertedthroughthe tubular coupling member 53, until stopped'within the adjacent shield and stop boss I6, and is initially fixedly connected to the coupling member 13, and thus to the seal body, in any suitable manner, as e. g. by an indented anchoring key portion i9 pressed inwardly from the wall of said coupling member 23 so as to bite into said butt end it? of the tie-wire i5, and thus initially secure the same against outward displacement from said coupling member l3 and consequent separation from the "seal body.

Initially, said tie-wire i5. extends above set forth. The outerfree extremity of said tie-wire .is provided with a1 suitably formed sharpened end 28, to piercing point.

In the use of the taggingfseal of this invention (one such use being its employment v as a Provide the a i h.

mark for identifying kosher meat productslfthe into the cavity ll of. the latter (as shown, by.

broken lines in Fig. 2). In order to facilitate inserting entrance of the sharpened end 2d of the tie-wire through themouth of saidncoupling member M, the inner side top end. portionsof the wall of the latter are cut away so as to leave, contiguous to the outer side of said coupling mom-.- ber M, an exposed guide projection orglip 2i, against'which the sharpened end '20 of. the. tievwire may be laid, and thus opposed to and aligned with the bore of said coupling member id for assured entrance therein under an applied inward thrust thereupon. This guide projection or lip 2| therefore not'only facilitates entrance of the tie-wire end into the coupling member M, but

also eliminates risk of pricking the fingers during such inserting manipulation of the tie-wire. After the tie-Wire, is thus manipulated and operatively related to the seal body in use, the. tiewire ends are permanently locked to the seal body by use of a suitable seal press or like tool. The

seal press or like tool is preferably .sodevis ed as to deform the walls of the coupling members I3 and M, by crushing the same down upon the entered end portions of the tie-wire, thus interlocking these parts together against separation or withdrawal of the tie-wire. This is. indicated in Fig. 1 wherein the interlocking deformations ';of

the coupling members resulting from the action of an applied seal press is indicated at, D. If

desired, suitable portions of the seal body, may be embossed or otherwise marked with a desired design, character or notation by operation of. the seal press equipped additionally for such purpose, all as well known to the art. v 1

In order to prevent attempted violation of the seal by prying open the rolled tubular coupling members it or it, theupper body section I2 is provided intermediate, said coupling members with an outwardly, pressedor raised guard bridge 22, the raised side edges of which are closely adjacent to theinnersides of said coupling members but elevated above the margins 23 of the coupling member formations which abut the surface of said upper bodysection I2. This raised guard bridge 22 makes it :difiicultto insert and straight as; from the seal body, to which it is attached as. j

relation to the tie-wire portions entered therei effectively manipulate a prying tool against said" 'margins 23 with the object of lifting the same and laterally opening up the coupling members to re- 1 lease the tie-wire portions therefrom. Furthermore the side margins of the outwardly struck. guard bridge 22 being cut away-from the upper body section l2 form slits 24,-and thus leave atfthe? 1 opposite ends of said slits weakened portions in" I the upper body section whichwill breakthrough under the pressures or strains developed in the. attempted application and use of a prying tool in,

the manner above mentioned. These'weakened portions comprise narrow neck-like connections 25 and .26 which respectively lie between the upper'ends of saidslits 24 and the upper end it margin of the body section 12, and betweenthe lower ends of' said slits 24 and the'transversey slits "it which extend between the uppe" and lower body sections II and I2. l

From the above description thereof it will be obviousthat this invention provides-avc'ry'siiiiple and yet efficient and convenient taggingseal.-for 1 the purposes intendedl- I amvaware that many changes maybe made in the construction anddetails of the "same, without departing from the scope thereof as set forth in the following claims.

It is therefore not-intendedtoifllimitthe-inven tion to the exact arrangementsand combinations I or parts as set forth in the foregoing'specification and as shown in the drawingsaid description illustrative and not in a limiting sense. Iclaim; ;'f 1 t and showing being intended to beinterpreted 'a thereof rolled inward thereupon: to provide tubu-j L lar coupling members, a flexibleitie-wire having,

a butt portion inserted in and anchored to one of said coupling members, said tie-wire being adapted to be bent upon itself forinsertion' ofits initially free end portion into the other of said coupling members, a combined stop'and shield means pressed outwardly from said .bo dy',, and, opposed at least to the inner end ofsaid lastmen tioned couplingmember. to receive and stop the tie-wire portion inserted through the lattenand said coupling members being adapted to be formed bya suitable sealing toolintdinterlock 2. A tagging seal as defined. in claim"l,. includ inga raised guard bridge struck outwardly from members.

- 3. Ataggingseal as defined mat-1a .1 ,whe rei1' 1 the outer end portion; of i that I coupling member which receives the freeend portion of thetie wire is cut away to form: aguide lip atone side of the entranceinto said coupling member; f' 4. A tagging seal as defined'i n' claim wherein? the outer .end ,-porti on of that coupling member which receives the freeend portion of the tie- Wireis cutaway to formaguidelipat-one sideof the entrance into said coupling', member, and said,

body includes a raised guardbridgestruck out-,

wardly therefromintermediate. and closely adja cent to said coupling members, the; raised lside margins of saidguard bridge 'being divided from said body by open slits whereby breakable sections are formed adjacent to the ends of said coupling members.

-- 5'; A ta ging ,sealcomprisingpa;flatsheetmetal body divided bytransverse slits indenting its side marginal portions into an upper and a lower section, thelateral marginal portions of the upper section being rolled inwardly-upon themselves to provide tubular coupling members, a flexible tiewire having a butt portion inserted in and anchored to one of said coupling members, said tiewire being'adapted to be bent upon itself for insertion of its initially free end portion into the other of said coupling members, hollow bosses raised from the marginal portions of said lower section which border said indenting transverse slits, said bosses being aligned with and open toward the lower ends of said coupling members so as to provide combined shields and stops to receive and enclose the extremities of the tiewire portions entered through said coupling memmembers.

'7. A tagging seal as defined in claim 5, wherein the outer end portion of that coupling member which receives the free end portion of the tiemargins of said guard bridge being divided from wire is cut away to form a guide lip at one side said body by open slitswhe'reby-breakable secmation being adapted to be deformed by a suitable sealing tool into interlocking relation to the tiewire end portion entered therethrough.

10. In a tagging sea] as defined in claim 9,

wherein theouter end portion of said tubular formation is cut away to form a guide hp at one side the entrance thereinto.

' EMIL DIETZE. 

